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LATEST: ‘Movie money’ being used to defraud retailers in Martin County

LATEST: ‘Movie money’ being used to defraud retailers in Martin County

Thieves have used apparent U.S dollars stamped bearing a “For motion picture use only” stamp to defraud at least five businesses, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office says. The most recent incident came Wednesday, May 24, 2017, at Treasure Coast Square in Jensen Beach, Fla. (Photo courtesy of the Martin County Sheriff’s Office)

JENSEN BEACH

The “money” looks real and feels real, but to the right of Benjamin Franklin’s head, the bill read, “For motion picture use only.”

Despite the warning, a manager at Forever 21 at the Treasure Coast Square in Jensen Beach on Wednesday was fooled by the $100 bill used to pay for $93.81 worth of women’s clothing and accessories, according to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office. This was the fifth recent case of the “movie money” being used at county retailers.

Deputies arrested the teenager suspected in the Forever 21 fraud case when he tried to use the “movie money” again at another chain store, but the store managers contacted authorities when he tried to purchase $400 worth of merchandise with the fake bills.

A manager at the Forever 21 store told The Post on Friday that another manager took the counterfeit money. She said the suspects were a boy and a girl who looked to be about 16 or 17 years old and were purchasing items for the girl such as a bodysuit, fake eyelashes and an eyelash curler.

She said the bill appeared real besides the label saying it was for movies only, and she hasn’t seen the “movie money” used previously in the store.

The store has a machine to check for counterfeit money, but it wasn’t working at the time of that purchase, the manager said.

Deputies withheld the name of the teen apprehended in the fraud cases at the mall.

Other cases include using fake $20 bills as well as well as $100s. Suspects also have tried to use the fake bills at the Rue 21 store at Treasure Coast Square, the Indianwood Golf & Country Club in Indiantown, a Publix Super Market in Palm City and another business in Stuart, the sheriff’s office said. The second most recent case occurred Monday.

The sheriff’s office encouraged retailers in the area to be aware of the fake bills.